Power and Responsibility
by Cthaeh72
Summary: After the Tournament of Power, Gohan decides he needs to become stronger so that he can hold the gods and angels to the responsibility that their power demands.
1. Chapter 1

I hope you guys like this. It's my first attempt at writing here, so be gentle. Comments and (hopefully constructive) criticisms are welcome.

 _This is a flashback_

" _This is Gohan thinking"_

 **Chapter 1: Decisions**

Pan's cries slowly gave way to sleepy whimpers as Gohan rocked her back to sleep for the fourth time that night. He cradled the baby tenderly, but his face was a grim mask of thought. He'd taken over Pan duty the last few nights- it was a nice break from lying awake with his thoughts.

 _His father and Jiren fighting, while Gohan sits helpless on the sidelines. Goku, standing triumphant over Jiren, about to end the tournament. Shock even on Jiren's face as Goku's power tears his body apart. Terror at the realization that Universe 7 just lost its one chance to survive._

Pan cuddled closer to Gohan's chest for warmth as she drifted off, breaking Gohan out of his reverie. He smiled gently, and placed her back into her crib, and zipped up the anti-flight roof. As he walked back to his and Videl's room, however, the frown and furrowed brow returned.

 _Seventeen, alone on the fighting stage, wishing to bring back the other universes. The Grand Priest calmly admitting that if a selfish wish had been made, Zeno would have erased everything._

" _How could they be so flippant about the destruction of all existence?"_

Gohan pulled Videl closer.

" _They gambled everyone's lives- no, everyone's_ _ **existence**_ _, on the morality of whoever just happened to be left standing at the end of the tournament."_

Videl was strong for a human, but she felt small and fragile as he pondered the minds of gods and angels.

" _The Supreme Lord of Everything, who holds the power to end everything, is a literal child. The gods show a callousness to mortal life only exceeded by that of their angelic guides."_

The girl in his arms shifted, seeking a more comfortable position against the hard lines of his body.

" _Dad and Vegeta seem to accept things as they are. Piccolo is blinded by his respect for those of divine authority; probably a hold-over from Kami."_

There was no visible change in posture or expression that could have tipped off an outside observer, but suddenly there was an air of decision in the room. No one else was willing to change things; that meant the responsibility lay on Gohan.

" _I'll play the gods' game. I'll get stronger. And then, when I'm strong enough, I will hold them to the responsibility of their power."_

 _ **...**_

Gohan dried his hands with a relieved sigh. The morning's mountain of dishes was finished.

"Thanks Gohan," said Videl, wiping a bit of food off a burbling Pan's face.

"Well, it's the least I can do considering I'm going to leave you with Pan for a whole day". Gohan chuckled, rubbing the back of his head in true Son fashion.

"I'm just glad you've decided to get back into training," said Videl. " I think it'll be good for you". She paused, azure eyes curious. "What made you decide, by the way? Tired of being the dutiful scholar?"

Gohan chuckled again. "There were some pretty strong fighters at the tournament, and they were supposedly all from the eight weakest universes. Guess it just got me excited, you know?"

She seemed convinced. "I see. Don't think this gets you out of training with me when you get back, got it?" The gleam in her eye was almost predatory.

Gohan sidled out the door and took off for the lookout.

…

"I've just finished repairing the hyperbolic time chamber for the last time, so don't destroy it again," warned Mr. Popo. "I'm looking at you, Vegeta".

Vegeta answered with only a grunt, though Gohan could swear there was an almost fearful undertone to the noise.

"I've made a few changes to the chamber that I expect you will enjoy. In addition to the increasingly extreme environment the further in you go, I've also graduated the gravity, from 10 times earth's gravity near the entrance to a maximum of 5,000 g's," said Popo.

"Why stop at 5,000?" asked Vegeta. "Surely you're aware I can handle more".

"After 5,000 g's it became too difficult to compensate for time dilation," Popo explained.

Vegeta shrugged, and Gohan followed him into the chamber.

As echo of the door's closing behind them faded, Vegeta turned to Gohan with a guarded expression. "I'm curious, weakling. Why did you choose me to act as your mentor? Surely you'd be more comfortable with your father, the clown, or your other father, the slug".

Gohan shrugged off Vegeta's choice of words. "That's just it, Vegeta. Piccolo was my first teacher, and I spent years after that training with my dad. If I want to learn, I need to step outside of my comfort zone".

Vegeta nodded, then phased out of sight. He reappeared a moment later with a punch aimed at Gohan's jaw. His eyes widened fractionally when he realized Gohan had caught the blow. "Actually, Vegeta, I had a few questions for you before we begin. I need-"

He was cut off as Vegeta started chuckling, a smirk spreading across his face. "Tell you what. Beat me, and you can ask all the questions you want". A blue aura exploded out of him, then faded into a darker blue as he underwent the royal transformation.

Gohan returned the smirk. "Alright Vegeta, it's a deal". A white-hot aura enveloped him and his eyes narrowed. "But I should warn you, I've thought up a few new tricks since you last saw me fight".

"Show me, then!" shouted Vegeta, launching toward Gohan. The fist was an inch in front of Gohan's face before he even saw it. He dodged to the side, taking a nick to his cheek. And then it was on, a flurry of blows that rained down on Gohan from every side, pushing him back.

" _This is ridiculous!"_ thought Gohan. He coughed up air as a kick blew through his guard and knocked him into the air. He quickly righted himself and reformed his guard to block another kick. The shock of it sent tremors through his skeleton. " _I'm in my ultimate form, and stronger than I was against Buu, and he's got me completely outclassed!"_

Another blow knocked him to the ground; he rebounded against the unnaturally hard surface in the high gravity with a gasp. He rolled into a stance, then cupped his hands together. "Ka-me," he said, jumping to gain distance as Vegeta struck the ground where he'd been standing. "Ha-me…" Vegeta rocketed toward him, and Gohan thrust his hands toward him. "HAAA!" He poured his full power into the blast, striking Vegeta dead-on. He felt a surge of relief at the successful hit. A gloved hand burst out of the Kamehameha and gripped his face. The blue turtle-style wave broke off as he was slammed into the ground, Vegeta's laughter filling the air.

Gohan groaned, kicking Vegeta away. " _Alright, so I've established that a full power frontal attack is useless against him. I don't want to kill or maim him, so cutting and piercing attacks are out of the question"._ Vegeta began firing a scattershot of small ki blasts, which Gohan did his best to dodge. " _Alright, let's try it"._

As Vegeta stopped firing ki blasts and flew in to close the distance, Gohan powered up. He formed a ki-blast in each hand, concentrating for a moment, then began to rapid-fire them at Vegeta. Vegeta broke off his charge to dodge the blasts, easily weaving in between them. He laughed at the weakling's futile attacks, then noticed something.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" said Vegeta. "It looks like you've adopted your father's habit of stealing others' attacks. What did the Namekian call this one again? Regicide Blaster?... That's right, Hellzone Grenade". He stopped dodging, and as expected Gohan's blasts kept missing him, surrounding him completely. "An admirable attempt, but ultimately useless if you don't have the power to harm me". Gohan said nothing. After a moment, he stopped firing, and brought his arms together with a shout, signaling the attack.

Glowing golden energy orbs rocketed toward Vegeta. He chuckled, confident in his ability to tank the attack, and flared his aura. "Let's see what you've got, weakling!" One blast reached Vegeta before the others, and the explosion obscured Gohan's view of Vegeta. Gohan smirked. It also obscured Gohan's attack from Vegeta.

As the innermost blasts of the attack closed in, the outermost orbs began to flatten and overlap, forming a rapidly collapsing hollow sphere. As it closed in, the energy forming it became more and more dense. A fraction of a second later, the inner layer of ki blasts detonated simultaneously, enveloping Vegeta in a massive explosion. Before it could expand, the outer sphere closed in on it, compressing it further into a white-hot maelstrom of roiling energy. Gohan strained with effort as he collapsed his attack around Vegeta, holding in the massive explosion.

Vegeta, meanwhile, had noticed something was wrong. Rather than dissipating, the explosion from the clown-spawn's attack was becoming more intense. Yelling with effort, he expanded his azure aura to push back against the golden energy, but the pressure only redoubled as if in response. Sudden panic gave way to surprised laughter as the attack began to break through his aura. "Didn't think you had it in you!"

Gohan shouted, aura flaring brightly as he gave a final herculean effort. The collapsing star he had created around Vegeta shrank and flared in sympathy, eclipsing the solar flare attack in intensity, then finally exploded outward in a supernova. Gohan stood in the smoky aftermath, panting heavily, sweat pouring off his brow, as he waited for the outcome. The smoke suddenly gave way to clear air as it was dispelled by the Prince of all Saiyans throwing a punch at the exhausted half-saiyan. The fist stopped an inch from Gohan's cheekbone, and a shockwave broke across the two of them. They held that pose for a moment, Gohan breathing hard. Vegeta smirked, letting his fist fall and dropping out of his transformation. Gohan noticed he looked a little scuffed up; maybe his attack had done something after all. "Not bad, half-breed," said Vegeta. "Certainly much better than I expected. I suppose you've earned a few answers".

Gohan smiled, wiping away a trail of blood.


	2. Chapter 2

I hope you guys like this. It's my first attempt at writing here, so be gentle. Comments and (hopefully constructive) criticisms are welcome.

 _This is a flashback_

 _"This is Gohan thinking"_

Chapter 2: An Experiment

"You and my dad can both go SSJ blue," said Gohan. Vegeta harrumphed and began walking toward the kitchen area. Gohan followed him. "But you never underwent the ritual. How can you use god ki?"

Vegeta thought for a moment, then began. "During our initial training with Whis, rather than training in a transformed state we used our base forms. This intense training vastly increased our natural ki reserves. Then, while we sparred, Whis forced us to raise our ki internally. When we did that, ki flooded our bodies until we could hold no more without it leaking. And then… it happened. When our punches collided, the ki that filled us to the brim was compressed. Under that pressure, it changed. That was our first glimpse of SSJ blue".

Gohan's brow furrowed in confusion. "So all you had to do was… compress your ki?"

Vegeta nodded, reaching into the fridge. "Most of Whis's training seemed simply to be meant to get us to increase our ki reserves, then to learn to compress them". He pulled out an enormous load of food and began walking. Gohan grabbed his own wheelbarrowful. "As far as I can tell, the only difference between normal ki and god ki is that god ki is more dense". He set his food down on a table. "Question time is over". He dug in.

Gohan didn't argue, instead setting down his own spread and shoveling food into his mouth. As he did, the expression on his face was unusually thoughtful for a Saiyan during meal time.

…

After dinner, or breakfast, or whatever meal that had been, Vegeta settled in for a nap, claiming it would be the first uninterrupted bout of sleep he'd had since the birth of his daughter.

Gohan had no complaints. Vegeta had given him plenty to think about. He walked out into the white void, footsteps echoing endlessly. He stopped when he figured he was far enough away to avoid waking Vegeta. _"Thanks to the Elder Kai, I'm a bit stronger than a SSJ 3 if I power up in my base form, so I should have plenty of ki. If what Vegeta says is true, all I need to do is raise my ki internally"._

He settled into horse stance, clenching his fists. He grunted, and began raising his power. Wisps of ki rose from his body, but he pulled them back inside. He groaned at the strain as his power continued to rise. _"This is actually really hard!"_ His power continued to rise, and sweat began to drip from his brow. The power began to burn. _"Vegeta didn't say anything about it hurting, did he? But I guess he's not the sort to mention that, and I don't feel like I've reached my limit yet"._ He kept going. The ki was really starting to burn him now, but somehow he kept increasing it. He realized he was yelling, his muscles bulging.

Suddenly, he heard an enormous crash of thunder that seemed to come from all around him. He was falling. Someone caught him, was yelling at him. "What did you do, you little idiot?!" Gohan's awareness faded into darkness.

…

Gohan groaned. He had a splitting headache, and every muscle in his body ached. He forced his eyes open. He suppressed another groan at the brightness, and squinted into the light. _"I'm… home. What happened to the time chamber?"_ A memory tugged at the edges of his awareness, but he couldn't quite grasp it. He looked around. Videl was next to him on the bed, half asleep. She looked over as she noticed his motion. "Gohan, you're awake!" she cried, enveloping him in a hug.

"Ow, ow ow!" said Gohan, wincing in pain.

"Sorry," said Videl. "I'm just so glad you're OK".

Gohan smiled at her, then frowned. "How long was I out?"

"You've been in a coma for three days since Vegeta brought you out of the chamber, and Dende only knows how long before that. I've been worried sick! And Pan has been too".

"Where is she?" asked Gohan. "I'd better tell her that her daddy's alright".

"She's off on the lookout right now; Piccolo's taking care of her".

"Nice of him," said Gohan. Suddenly he noticed there was someone else in the room. "Oh, hey, Dende!"

"Nice to have you back with us, Gohan," said Dende. "And to answer your question, Videl, Vegeta said he pulled Gohan out when you wouldn't wake up after two days." He looked to Gohan. "He was pretty mad you didn't get any real training in". He paused for a moment, looking serious. "Listen Gohan, I don't know what you did in there, but… I'm afraid there may have been some permanent consequences".

That was ominous. "What do you mean, Dende?"

"Well… I healed you up as best I could, but…"

"What is it?"

"Your energy is gone," said Dende quietly.

"What?!"

"No one can sense it. I've tried everything, but there doesn't seem to be anything physically wrong with you. You just… don't have ki anymore".

Gohan frowned in confusion. "But… I'm a little sore, but I don't feel that bad. I feel strong, actually," he said, opening and closing a hand. To Dende's shock, he easily formed a small energy orb in that hand. "You're telling me you can't sense that?" he asked.

"No, not at all," said Dende, eyes wide.

Gohan looked to Videl in askance, and she shook her head. "You don't think-"

"God ki," said Gohan. "I just remembered. When I passed out, I was trying to figure out SSJ blue. But something went wrong; I never ran out of space to compress my ki".

"Do you think it has something to do with the Elder Kai's potential unlock?" asked Videl.

"It might," said Gohan. "Maybe I should ask him about it". An enormous menacing growl filled the room. The other two looked to Gohan. He chuckled, a hand rubbing the back of his head. "Maybe a bite to eat first…"

…

As Gohan flew over to Goku's ki signature, he marveled at the speeds he was achieving. "And I'm barely powered up at all! I feel like I did when Elder Kai first unlocked my full power!" He laughed with unrestrained excitement and corkscrewed through the air. In no time at all he was touching down next to Goku.

Goku jumped in shock. "What the-! Gohan, I didn't feel you approaching!" His eyes narrowed. "Actually, I still don't feel you. It's almost like… you're an android".

Gohan chuckled. "Dad, I'm not an android".

"Well, how do I know that? If you really were my son, I should be able to sense your energy!"

Gohan smirked. "Transform into SSJ blue".

"Why would I-"

"Just do it, dad. Trust me, you won't regret it".

Goku smiled back. "All right, but if you are an android just know I won't let you get away with impersonating my son!" He clenched his fists and blue light erupted out of him. His eyes widened with shock and he reverted back to base. "No way… Gohan, you have god ki! In your base form! How?!"

…

"And you need me to take you to Elder Kai's place?" asked Goku.

"That's right," said Gohan. "I need to ask him if the potential unlock he did for me a while back would have interfered with my going SSJ blue".

"Alright son, grab on," said Goku, placing two fingers to his forehead. Gohan grabbed his father's shoulder. _"Hey, I really need to ask dad to teach me that move some t-"_ The father-son duo disappeared.

 _"-ime."_ Gohan looked around. They were on the sacred planet of the Kais. Supreme Kai and Kibito were nowhere to be seen, but Elder Kai sat leafing through what appeared to be an old porno magazine, chuckling pervertedly every so often.

"Elder Kai," said Gohan. "I have a que-"

He was cut off as the old man screamed and jumped into the air. "What's wrong with you, sneaking up on an old man like that?! You could've given me a heart attack!"

Goku chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, and Gohan mirrored him. "Sorry, Elder Kai. We're here because my son wanted to ask you a question".

"Oh? A question, is it?" said Elder Kai. He gave them a sly look. "I'll answer your question… if you do something for me, first".

"Ahh come on, Elder Kai," whined Goku. "We've saved the universe multiple times now!"

"Multiple universes, in fact," said Gohan.

"Fah!" said Elder Kai. "Always bringing that up, aren't you?" He began speaking in falsetto. "Ohh, I'm Goku, look at me, I'm so great I can talk with the Omni King like he's my best friend, never mind the fact he can erase all of existence!" Gohan's mouth tightened as Elder Kai unknowingly echoed Gohan's own motivation for getting stronger.

Goku clasped his hands together in a childlike begging pose. "Oh, come on Elder Kai! Pretty please? We came to ask you because we know you're the most knowledgeable of all the Kais!"

Elder Kai huffed, not looking entirely displeased. "All right, fine. What was the question?" he rasped, looking to Gohan.

"Well, do you remember how you unlocked my potential a few years ago?"

"Of course I do, what a rude child! I'm not that old! I can still remember just fine!"

Gohan raised his hands in a placating gesture. "I wasn't trying to suggest that, Elder Kai". He straightened. "Let me ask you this: can you sense my energy right now?"

The Elder Kai scowled angrily. "Of course I can, you boo-" His jaw dropped in a comically shocked expression. "You have god ki! In your base form! How?" "And," he muttered more quietly, "how did I not notice before? Maybe I am getting old…"

Gohan explained the events of the hyperbolic time chamber. "And I think the potential unlock you performed for me interfered with my ability to go SSJ blue, and somehow gave me god ki in my normal state".

The Elder Kai mused with a hand on his chin. "Hmm… you may be right. The purpose of my potential unlock is to allow you to access your full power without transforming. Normally, the Saiyan body requires a transformation to use god ki, but in your case, my technique forced you to access that power from your base form. Rather than giving you a temporary form, like SSJ blue, the god ki subtly changed your body physically so you could handle its use. That was likely the source of the pain you felt".

Gohan nodded. "I suppose that's as good an explanation as any. Do you think there'll be any negative side effects from this process?"

"No idea," said Elder Kai. "I've never seen anything like this before; my technique wasn't meant to be used on those with god ki".

Goku stepped up. "Those questions are all well and good, but you forgot the most important one!"

Gohan quirked an eyebrow. "And what's that, dad?"

Goku grinned. "How strong are you now? Let's have a fight, son! What do you say? Please?!"

Gohan took a deep breath and clenched and unclenched a fist. It would be a good idea to get a measure of his new strength.

"Alright dad, why not?"


	3. Chapter 3

Comments and (hopefully constructive) criticisms are welcome. Enjoy the story.

 _This is a flashback_

" _This is Gohan thinking"_

 **Chapter 3: Vacation**

Gohan and Goku squared off, taking up fighting stances. Elder Kai appeared to have a sudden, and unpleasant, realization, and rushed toward them. "Wait, you two! Not on my plan-" Blue and white auras burst out of the two fighters, sending the venerable elder tumbling like a leaf in a tornado. "His shrieks of protest were carried away along with his person as the father-son duo leapt toward each other in a storm of energy.

They interlocked hands, each struggling to overpower the other through sheer strength. Father and son's yells filled the air, growing in intensity as they matched each other in rising power. " _Man, he's strong. Even with the power boost I got from using god ki, he's matching me easily so far. And he's not even using the Kaio-Ken! Wow, dad."_ As the struggle reached a crescendo, Gohan smiled, and Goku grinned in response. They broke away at the same instant, springing back. As he flew backwards through the air, Gohan charged a Masenko, hands over his head. Goku responded in kind with a Kamehameha.

"Masenko-Ha!"

"Kamehame-Ha!"

The yellow and blue waves crashed together, streaks of lightning carving furrows in the ground. The unfortunate Elder Kai, who had just managed to stand up on shaky legs, was promptly knocked back off them and blown further away, enraged yells drowned out by the titanic battle that was taking place on his planet.

" _Alright Piccolo, lets see how your attack does against my dad's Kamehameha!"_ Gohan's hands were beginning to shake. Goku's wave began to push back the Masenko. " _I know my dad loves a long warm-up, but this is the perfect opportunity to test my full strength against him!"_ Gohan yelled, veins popping out on his outstretched arms. "HAAAAAA!" His white aura burst out once more, streaming away in the opposite direction from his attack. The Masenko doubled in size, and began rapidly pushing toward Goku. Gohan heard an answering shout from his father, and felt his beam being pushed back again as his father began to overwhelm him. " _Ah, crapbaskets"._

Within moments the blue wave completely enveloped him. Gohan stood in the blue stream of energy holding a small yellow sphere in front of him like a shield. He staggered slightly. " _He's so_ _ **strong!**_ _What can I do against this kind of power?"_ He gritted his teeth. " _I'm still not ready! I can't even stand against my dad and he still thinks this is a warm-up!"_

What was different about Goku? How did he always manage to bring his power to the next level? In a matter of years, he'd gone from a skilled martial artist, to the strongest in the world, the the embodiment of a legend, to a god. And then, during the tournament, he'd gone beyond that. At a time when everyone else was worrying only about survival, Goku had overcome his limits once again and surpassed even the gods.

The small sphere cupped in Gohan's hands began to fade.

" _He treats everything like a chance to find his limits, and to push beyond them"._

Gohan's eyes began to close against the increasing force of the Kamehameha.

" _I've reached my limit in this battle"._

As his eyes closed, he turned his focus inward, searching… " _There!"_ It was less a location than a feeling. The limit to his power. He pushed against it, but it refused to yield. " _Come on! I'm so close!"_

But the barrier refused to budge. The Kamehameha finally destroyed the last remnant of Gohan's Masenko, exposing him to the full power of the blast. He was lifted off his feet, yelling in pain. As his consciousness began to flicker, he turned his gaze inward again toward his limit, pushing, pushing.

He gasped. The pain no longer existed. There was no more outside struggle. Only the limit remained, mocking him with its presence. With a final, earth shattering scream Gohan turned his entire being into defeating that limit. His fists clenched involuntarily at his sides as he screamed his lungs out. Then… a hint of success. Gohan felt his limit...shift, and he could feel the incredible power that lay beyond. He had time to smile in triumph before his awareness faded into darkness.

Goku's eyes widened as he felt his Son's power fluctuate wildly, then drop sharply. He broke off his attack and dropped to base form, then hurried over. "Gohan!". He anxiously propped his son's head up, looking over the burns his attack had caused.

Gohan's eyes opened. "What… Crapbaskets! Seriously, I passed out again?"

Goku chuckled. "Looks like it, son! I guess I should probably get you to Dende, you're pretty beat up. Sorry about that".

Gohan shook his head. "No dad, I needed to push myself. Though passing out wasn't part of the plan".

Goku laughed again, a hand behind his head. "Well, no worries, Dende'll get you fixed right up". He put two fingers to his forehead.

"WAIT!" screamed an irate Elder Kai, sprinting toward the pair. "You two better help clean u-" He broke off as the two disappeared, and skidded to a halt. He stared at the recently vacated and mostly destroyed patch of ground, then sighed, turned, and began searching for the porno magazine he had dropped. Work was for the youth; he'd let the Supreme Kai fix things this time.

…

"You really need to be more careful when you're training", admonished Dende, arms held out to heal his friend. "This is the second time I've had to heal you in the past few days! What's the hurry?"

Gohan gave a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his head. "No pain, no gain right?"

Goku laughed. "Now you sound like Vegeta! Maybe he did teach you something in the chamber after all!"

Dende shook his head in disgust, then dropped his hands, the glow fading. "Alright Gohan, all better. Next time I see you better not be because you're half-dead again".

Gohan held up his hands in defeat. "Fine, I promise I'll be more careful. Happy?"

Dende smiled. "Happy enough. Oh- I just remembered. Universe 6's Angel contacted me recently. I was relieving myself at the time- it was quite a shock". Goku and Gohan laughed. "Anyways, she asked if anyone from universe 7 wanted to come over for a playdate- her words, not mine".

Goku jumped to his feet, excited. "Of course! Oh, man, I'm so excited to fight Hit again. And those universe 6 saiyans weren't bad either, what were their names again? That's right, Kale! Kale and Cauliflower!"

Gohan smiled. While he didn't quite share his father's childlike enthusiasm, a trip to universe 6 would be an interesting opportunity to learn from some powerful fighters. He might even gain some insight into the Saiyan race that could help him become stronger. He suspected Vegeta would decide to go as well, and maybe Piccolo. He frowned. If he, his father and Vegeta all went, there wouldn't be any fighters left in 7 capable of beating Frieza. He sighed. They'd either have to bring along the alien lizard, or kill him. Oh well.

…

"Is everyone ready to depart?" asked the elegant blue angel. The group stood arrayed around him holding hands to maintain contact, some more grudgingly than others. Beerus had decided to stay behind, saying something "taking a nap" and his "stupid brother". That left Gohan, Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Frieza, Videl and Pan. Videl had decided to come, saying it "might be interesting to learn about the heritage that produced such a handful of a daughter". Frieza had only agreed to come along after Gohan had stated in no uncertain terms, Vegeta looking on with a cross between a scowl and a smirk, that the lizard could choose between coming along peacefully and dying. Whis had agreed to keep him on a leash for the duration of the visit.

Everyone nodded to the angels question. "All right," he said, "Three, two, one.." And then the scenery changed.

They were standing on earth, but it appeared to be less technologically advanced than the one Gohan knew. " _That's right, it was destroyed, then Beerus wished it back"._ Human bystanders looked on in astonishment at the motley group, but no one payed them any heed. Vados and Champa were already there waiting, along with the three universe 6 saiyans. Champa almost looked disappointed at his brother's absence, then quickly erased the look. "Welcome universe 7!" he said. "I think you'll find our universe is just like yours, but better! Enjoy your stay!".

Caulifla teleported over to stand in front of Goku, eyes shining with excitement. She began to speak rapid-fire, alternating demands, questions and exclamations, most of them somehow fighting-related. Kale trailed shyly behind. As Cabba walked up to Vegeta, calling him master and saying something about meeting a king, Gohan looked to Piccolo. "What are you going to do with your vacation time?" he asked.

"I think I'll pay a visit to my counterparts on Namek," rumbled the tall alien. "I hear they never had an ecological collapse, so I'll be interested to see the planet in its prime".

Gohan nodded. Each of the visitors from universe 7 had brought capsulized spaceships, so they could go off on their own if necessary. "Well, have fun Piccolo! Say hi to those two Namekian warriors for me, would you?"

The Super Namekian smiled. "Will do, kid. See you later". He waved a hand as he began to walk away.

Gohan turned to his wife, who struggled to keep a happy Pan under control. "What do you say we head to planet Sadala first?" he asked.

Videl nodded. "Maybe we'll be able to pick up some tips on Saiyan parenting while we're there," she suggested hopefully.

Gohan grimaced, remembering the way his father had been dealt with as a baby. " _Then again, these universe 6 saiyans seem a lot more civilized than our counterparts"._ He glanced at Caulifla, who was yelling something at his father angrily. " _For the most part, anyway"._ "Maybe," he agreed. He pulled out his spaceship capsule. "Let's head out then," he said, clicking and throwing the capsule.


	4. Chapter 4

Comments and (hopefully constructive) criticisms are welcome. Enjoy the story.

 _This is a flashback_

" _This is Gohan thinking"_

 **Chapter 4: Realization**

The trip to planet Sadala was short; it was almost as far out in the boonies as Earth. In Bulma's newly designed spaceships they arrived after only a few hours. Gohan made the trip with his wife and daughter, while Goku had ended up with the two female saiyans. Vegeta had been unable or unwilling to shake off his apprentice hopeful, so he and Cabba traveled together. That left only Frieza and Whis, who had also decided to come along, Whis to sample saiyan cuisine and Frieza for some unknown, probably evil, reason.

They arrived on a planet that appeared remarkably earth-like outside of the 10 times earth gravity and lack of a moon. A small crowd stood waiting for the arrivals. As Gohan stepped off the ship, a curious Pan cradled in one arm, he studied the universe 6 saiyans. There really wasn't all that much to differentiate them from humans; they didn't have tails and their builds seemed more or less normal, if a bit more fit and muscular on average. The only real tell was the raven hair and obsidian eyes- although there were exceptions to that rule; apparently there was some intermingling with other races.

The crowd parted as a regal figure walked up, clothed in an outfit similar to Cabba's but red, and more ornate. The man bowed to Whis, and spoke in a commanding baritone. "It is an honor, brother-of-Vados".

Whis bowed in return, smiling slightly. "Likewise".

The man looked somewhat like Gohan's mental image of the old King Vegeta, goatee and all. The hair was off, though, and his eyes less angry than Vegeta's. He wasn't as strong as Gohan, his father or Vegeta, but he commanded a subtle confidence that went deeper than strength. This was a man who earned the loyalty and respect of his people rather than taking it.

The yet-unnamed king turned to Gohan. "I am King Tarble. I cannot sense your energy, and so I presume you are universe 7's Lord Beerus. It is an honor". He began to bow, but paused. "Though, I have to admit I don't really see the resemblance between you and your brother…".

Gohan laughed, hand behind his head as usual. "That's because I'm not Beerus," he explained.

"Gohan here is one of the last universe 7 saiyans. Well, a half saiyan, to be exact. You were right to assume he possesses god ki, but that was the result of training, not godhood".

The King looked at Gohan, considering. The half-saiyan grinned and continued rubbing the back of his head. Finally the King spoke. "I shall be interested to hear how that happened. In the meantime," he said, looking around the group of visitors, "why don't you all get settled in? I'll have servants show you to your rooms".

…

"I can't believe anyone would want to run a saiyan nursery, that sounds like HFIL!" exclaimed Videl, as she and Gohan followed an attendant to their room.

Gohan laughed. "I can't disagree with you there. I'm just glad for a little break". They walked into the room. It was sparsely decorated, really just a large bed, a few chairs and a large window with a view of surrounding fields. The door closed behind them, the attendant remaining outside.

The two looked at eachother. "It's been a while since we had some alone time, hasn't it Gohan," said Videl, blue eyes smiling. Gohan's heart rate began to increase. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close, causing her to gasp a little. Their lips met and her hands tangled in his hair. He picked her up and walked over to the bed.

…

By the time Gohan and Videl emerged, Goku and Caulifla had, of course, already fought. Kale had been content to remain on the sidelines this time, so Goku ended up winning easily enough. As they walked onto the sparring ground Goku was in the process of demonstrating SSJ 3 to an awestruck Caulifla. Kale and Cabba also watched, although their reactions were more subdued.

Gohan looked around, then noticed Vegeta standing next to him. "Hey Vegeta, I've been meaning to ask-"

Vegeta cut him off with a disgusted noise. "What, more questions? Are you going to pass out again, if I answer?"

Gohan was content to simply ignore the mockery, but Videl butted forward angrily, shaking off the hand Gohan laid on her shoulder. "Vegeta, where do you get off insulting Gohan like that? You mock him when he doesn't train during times of peace, then you mock him again when he does train! You had better answer his question".

She said the last in an ominously quiet voice. Vegeta seemed caught between his desire not to back down, and some racial fear instinct all the saiyans seemed to share. He contented himself with a simple harrumph and turned away.

Gohan interpreted the movement as an invitation. "I wanted to ask, why didn't you ever go SSJ 3? There were a few years after Majin Buu when the only way you could have caught up with my dad was by transforming. So what stopped you?"

Vegeta seemed to have an internal struggle, but whatever it was it resolved itself after a few seconds. He sighed, and turned to Gohan. "I was just as strong as your father in my base form, perhaps even stronger, so strength wasn't the issue. I tried many times, but it always took too long. I always ran out of energy before I could complete the transformation. I suspect the only reason your father can do it is because he gained control of SSJ 3 while he was dead- the body is more durable when you're dead, for some reason".

Gohan nodded. " _Interesting"._ "Thank you Vegeta, that's all I wanted to ask".

Vegeta's grunt could have been an acknowledgement or a dismissal, possibly both. He turned back toward the grounds, where Caulifla was now attempting to transform to no avail.

They all watched for a while as Goku attempted to tutor the eager saiyan girl, Gohan and Videl laughing at Caulifla and Goku's antics while Vegeta remained stoic. The two had gathered quite a crowd. One saiyan, an older muscular man with short jagged hair, requested a lesson on turning SSJ. There was a chorus of agreement from the rest of the group, although Caulifla growled in irritation.

Gohan turned to Videl. "I think I'll go find the King," he said. "I'd be interested to learn a bit about universe 6 saiyan history".

Videl nodded. "I think I'll stay and watch a little longer," she said. "Let's find each other before dinner time".

Gohan nodded back, then walked off, an attendant joining him.

…

"Every child on Sadala has heard many stories that tell of super saiyans," said the king. He and Gohan walked along a well-worn path, the sunlight dappled by clouds and a slight breeze rustling through their hair. Pterosaur-like mammalian creatures darted through the air, occasionally attacking one another with brutal claw slashes. "There are many different variations: super saiyan, Ascended, Legendary super saiyan, Super Saiyan God, Limit Breaker… I had always assumed these were all names for the same form. But now it is clear to me that that is not the case. At some time in the past my people were capable of some of the same transformations you universe 7 saiyans now use".

Gohan nodded. "You know, it's almost ridiculous how many transformations there are. Over the years we just keep discovering more".

The King chuckled. "It is a bit strange," he admitted. "Now that you mention it, it is very strange that saiyans should be capable of so many different transformations. Why not a single form? But no matter. Why don't you tell me about this 'training accident' Whis spoke of earlier?"

…

Over the next few days, Gohan enjoyed himself with Pan and Videl, had a sparring match or eight with eager young saiyans, and gorged himself on saiyan cooking, which was unexpectedly good- they seemed to have learned from the newly restored earthlings. But his conversation with the King remained in the back of his mind. He couldn't stop thinking about all the different forms he'd seen saiyans assume: the various super saiyan grades, super saiyan blue, Vegeta's further ascended form, super saiyan red, and his father's mysterious form from the tournament. It was during the dinner feast five days after their arrival that Gohan's musings seemed to come to a head. As he gorged himself, the different forms swirled around in his mind, begging for his attention. He tried to focus on his food, but, for once, he just couldn't. " _What is the common factor? The forms have to be related somehow! Think!"_

 _His father, fighting with Frieza. His valiant efforts were in vain; the space tyrant was simply too strong. Then, the first transformation, driven by need and triggered by anger. Suddenly Goku had the power to crush the previously untouchable lizard._

 _Fast forward._

 _Gohan stood near Cell, guilt tearing him apart as he watched his friends being beaten for his weakness, for his inability to fight. Then, a few words spoken by a broken android. The gentle giant, crushed under Cell's foot. This man, who had chosen to protect the world against all odds, was gone, and he could never be brought back because he didn't have a soul. Another transformation, driven by need and triggered by anger, and Cell could do nothing against the oncoming storm of Gohan's power._

 _Further._

 _At a moment when the fate of the world hung on a mortal's ability to become a god, six saiyans came together and Goku transformed._

 _Two saiyans who had to learn how to use god ki on their own, training. Their fists connected, and a flash of blue aura rippled through the air._

 _Vegeta, about to face off against Jiren. Super saiyan blue wasn't enough, so he went further._

 _And finally, back to Goku. He faced off against a being with unimaginable power, power he could not match even with the Kaio-Ken. In the moment when he needed it most, he transformed, and shocked the gods with his Ultra Instinct._

" _What's the common thread?"_

Think.

His father's words echoing in the time chamber all those years ago. "The power comes in response to a need, not a desire!"

Gohan paused, a drumstick frozen halfway between the plate and his mouth.

Whenever they had needed more power, the original super saiyan transformations had emerged. When they needed the ability to use god ki, they discovered super saiyan blue and red. When his father needed to use Ultra Instinct, he had adopted a new form. It was almost like… all these forms were extensions of the same ability; they were all variations on Super Saiyan.

Saiyans didn't just have a bunch of random, built-in forms for every situation; they had the ability to create new forms in response to a need. And this ability was the true "Super Saiyan" of legend.


End file.
